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Category Archives: VHF radio

We saw interest for our audio interrupter line of products on a forum and noticed that a potential customer complained that our products were too expensive compared to a normal external speaker that usually mounts under the dash or on the firewall.
Our regular products mount behind the dash out of sight. Our products also fully mute the stereo when a CB/Ham voice is received, then automatically switch all the speakers to hear the CB/HAM message through the vehicle speakers, which conform to the acoustics of the vehicle.

It is important to realize that an external speaker does not mute the stereo. It will still play when an incoming call is received, unlike our audio interrupter products.

We felt he had a valid point and decided to also add a plain external speaker to our line of products that would be priced competitively to other external speakers on the market. However, we wanted one that would be the best on the market and designed for the vehicle.

How our External Speaker Wizard works: When voice is present (volume, set at a pleasant listening level) on a 2 way-radio, the left front stereo output will automatically mute and the left front speaker will switch to 2 way radio voice thus acting as a high-quality external speaker. All other speakers remain unchanged playing and connected to the stereo. The left front speaker remains switched for 3 seconds after the last voice message is received, then returns back automatically to normal stereo play.

The External Speaker Wizard is the size of a deck of cards and is made to be wired in between the stereo and the factory speaker as opposed to being mounted under a dash or on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The List Price of $39.95 is cost effective and about the same price as a good quality external mount speaker box, but without the concern of size, mount location and sound quality. Factory vehicle speakers are designed for the acoustics of the vehicle and are usually rated at 20 watts or greater making a world of difference as to how well you hear

Just got off the phone with a man in Clearwater, FL that wants to use the CBM-U2 in his boat. What a great idea. When a transmission is received, his cockpit stereo mutes, and the message will come through loud and clear on the speakers. And it won’t matter what kind of 2-way gear he has, as long as the receiver has an output jack that can drive an external speaker, he is good to go.
We knew that some of you out there might try this, so we encapsulated the CBM’s circuitry in a polymer. This protects the electronic components from moisture, and you know how wet your boat can get from just condensation alone. Just as a cold glass of brewski on the Gulf Coast sweats, so wouldn’t the sensitive components of the CBM in marine environment, and that’s why we encapsulate them.

On the technical side I recommend soldering all of the connections on the CBM-U2 in such an installation, and insulating with double walled shrink tubing. Double walled shrink tubing is what I use in my Jeep, and I highly recommend it for any connections that will see moisture. It works because the inner wall of the tubing melts and seals the outer wall during the heat-shrinking process. Way cool for mud buggies too.